Remember
by Ominae
Summary: A look at the lives of some of ARCAM's finest Striker operatives during Mother's Day when they remember the people they hold dear to them.
1. Faded Memories

Striker/Spriggan: Remember

By: Ominae

Rating: K

NOTE:

All characters of of Striker/Spriggan are under the copyright of Hiroshi Takashige and Ryoji Minagawa.

Summary:

A look at the lives of some of ARCAM's finest Striker operatives during Mother's Day when they remember the people they hold dear to them.

Note - I know I'm late on the Mother's Day part, but I'd still want to do this. This is my way of saluting all moms out there, whether single or not, old or young, Caucasian or Asian. Doesn't matter. It's a homage to what moms do and what they do best! Amen!

Chapter 1: Faded Memories

Lisieux Cemetery, Lisieux, France

In the cemetery of the town of Lisieux, various graves were erected since the establishment of Lisieux in order to remember those who have moved on.

In the center of the cemetery, a tombstone with the engravings **MARIA FELTON **and **MARK FELTON **stood out from the rest, as they had only one name engraved on the tombstones.

"22 ans ont passé puisque j'ai été ici." (22 years have passed since I've been here.) said a French teenager, who went into the cemetery with a bouquet of flowers in his arms. Stopping in front of the grave, he knelled down and carefully laid the bouquet gently on the cemented top of the Felton grave.

While on his knees, he brushed away some dirt that was on the engravings of the Feltons. After making sure that the headstone was completely clean, he brushed some hair from his bangs and moved his ponytail onto his back.

The teen sighed, remembering how Maria and Mark Felton had moved on while he grew up. _"Il n'est pas juste ! Pourquoi la Maman et la marque sont-elles mortes tandis que j'obtiens de vivre?" (It's not fair! Why did mom and Mark die while I get to live?) _He nearly wanted to punch something in the cemetery, but frowned on it on respect for the dead.

"Maman bonne, comment allez-vous?" (Well Mom, how are you doing?), began the teen, who spoke to the headstone as if it was his mother. "Ne vous inquiétez pas de moi cependant, je suis très bien." (Don't worry about me though, I'm fine.).

Giving a heavy sigh, he went to to narrate to the headstone on how his life went on, from being a French Striker operative to saving the world from the Fire Snake, unleashed by Trident personnel lead by Larry Markson. He also decided to speak about his relationship with Yu and Tea and how he thinks about the two. The teen said that he found them annoying sometimes, but he trusts them as his comrades.

"Je vous apporterai le juge, maman. Je vengerai votre mort en obtenant le rassemblement hybride avant qu'il mette en danger la planète entière encore." (I'll bring you justice, Mom. I'll avenge your death by getting the bastard Larry before he endangers the entire planet again.), murmured the teen, who stopped for a while to fix his black jacket. "En outre, j'espère que vous faites bien." (Besides, I hope you're doing well.)

The teen took a glance at his wristwatch and smiled before standing up from kneeling near the Felton grave. Patting his green BDU pants to remove dirt, he stretched his legs and arms before getting ready to leave. He remembered how his adopted mom and brother were dead, with evidence pointing to Markson, who may had a role leading to their deaths. The teen, all in all, told the headstone that he cursed at the lycanthorpe heritage that he had carried in his blood from his accursed father, Rick Bordeau. He was the man who Jean grew to hate after he left Lisieux for Paris in order to be a Striker. Until now, he resents his estranged father for working with Trident as the company was his main nemesis.

"Devinez qu'I soit mieux le héros encore, maman de huh ? Ne vous inquiétez pas de moi. Je prends Yu et thé pour me soutenir." (Guess I better be the hero again, huh Mom? Don't worry about me. I have Yu and Tea to back me up.)

Now realizing that he had to go, he spoke to the headstone for one last time.

"Je ne vous ai pas oublié des types, à la différence de quelques autres certains qui oublient le jour. Je suis sorti un certain temps de Paris pour venir ici." (I didn't forget you guys, unlike some other people who forget about the day. I got some time off from Paris to come here.)

"Jean!"

The teen whipped his head up to search for the voice, who turned out to be Yu Ominae.

"Come on, werewolf boy!" The Japanese operative sighed and slapped him on the shoulder. "Big man back in Paris wants us in HQ!"

"Don't call me werewolf boy!" yelled Jean, scolding Yu, who covered his ears to protect his eardrums from the French Striker's loud voice. "Come here so's I can punish you for calling me that!"

"Okay." waved Yu off before running from him, "But you better catch me first!"

Jean watched Yu run towards the cemetery entrance, nearly infuriating him.

"YU!"

The French Striker was about to give chase when he decide to leave his mom and brother with a simple greeting.

"Le Jour De la Mère Heureuse, Maman." (Happy Mother's Day, Mom.)

Smiling for the last time, he turned tail and gave chase to Yu, mumbling something about "beating him up good" before they get back to Paris.

Chapter 1 END

PS

- Hope you Jean fans like this chapter. This chapter was inspired from Spriggan, Volume 4 when Jean visits the grave of Maria and Mark Felton, his adopted mother and younger brother. His old man, Rick Bordeau, disappeared from his life before he was in his teens.

If anyone wants the scans of Jean's family, let me know!


	2. Tragic Memories

Striker/Spriggan: Remember

By: Ominae

Rating: K

NOTE:

All characters of of Striker/Spriggan are under the copyright of Hiroshi Takashige and Ryoji Minagawa.

Summary:

A look at the lives of some of ARCAM's finest Striker operatives during Mother's Day when they remember the people they hold dear to them.

Chapter 2: Tragic Memories

Aoyama Botchi, Tokyo, Japan

Sitting down near an Ominae family grave was a Japanese teenager, fairly around 17-18 years of age. Dressed in a brown bomber jacket with an standard-issued Armored Muscle Suit, he was seated near the Ominae grave in a cross-legged position while viewing the ashes that were neatly placed on top of the grave.

"Okaasan, Otousan." (Mother, Father), whispered the teenager, who had got the time off to see the family grave after requesting Yamamoto to visit them. To his suprise, he didn't object to his planned visit and even wished him "the best of luck" in seeing his deceased parents. "Nice day, isn't it?"

"How are you guys doing?", the teenager said after he drank a recently opened can of Coca-Cola that he purchased from the vending machine of the Nogizaka station. "Hope you two are okay."

After the teen sighed, he went to speak about his life after the day he lost them. "You know that I was the most frustrated after I found out you two died back there in Iran." He remembered the day he left a village near the excavation site that his archaeologist parents had participated in back in the Iranian desert.

Leaning back, he viewed the morning sky and contemplated on a tragic incident that he wanted to forget if possible. "I never thought about you two that much since I got to the US to live with Akiha and Takashi after I lost you two." He went to drink his sorrows again by emptying the rest of the contents from the Coca-Cola can before tossing it to a nearby garbage can.

"But since I got brainwashed by COSMOS after being kidnapped by the CIA and being forced to participate in several covert operations," The boy nearly wanted to cry his heart out. _"I can't cry, I got to stay strong for them, especially Okaasan." _Being able to _avoid_ the issue, he went to narrate his life after being orphaned. "I saw something that I shouldn't have seen."

The teenager whispered so low that only he could hear.

"I saw how two archaeologists I killed in South American with my own weapon resembled your deaths."

* * *

_Somewhere in South America_

_"Number 43, what the hell are you doing in here?"_

Colonel Cooley, then the commanding officer of the COSMOS unit, was shocked to see a young boy at the age of 7-8 years old after he had barged in the command post.

_"Colonel, get away!" _An American soldier, presumably an NCO, tried to reach for his Beretta M9 pistol. The boy saw this and fired a burst from his US Ordnance M60 GPMG, destroying his right hand completely.

_"Augghhh!" _The officer began to scream in pain, clutching his severed arm. _"My hand!" _He then sneered at the child while saying from his gritted teeth, _"Bastard!"_

The Colonel attempted to assert his authority on the situation, _"Number 43, I am ordering you to cease whatever you're doing and stand down!"_

The boy sneered at the man and took aim at the Colonel and the rest of the command post personnel before uttering a line that changed his line forever.

_"My name is Ominae, Yu!"_

With that, he emptied his 7.62 x 51 mm NATO bandolier slinged on his chest and waist at everyone inside the command post with the help of his M60.

* * *

"Strange, isn't it?" The teen couldn't help but chuckle at his storytelling. "But from there, Oboro beat the shit out of me after I tried to stab him before bringing me back to Japan."

Reaching out to touch the engraving of **OMINAE** on the family grave, he smiled and said, "I guess you guys don't want me to play the hero and leave it to the other guys out there." The teen did a hitchhiker's thumb pointing to his rear, "But I'm a Striker now and I plan to be one until I'm dead."

He laughed at his own declaration and explained to the family grave about being a Striker, "I decided to be one 'cause I had a strong hatred against the US Military for what they did in Iran." After an ARCAM investigation had occurred on the massacre in the Iranian research site, strong evidence has been pointed to the US Army's COSMOS unit as the perpetrator responsible. "The unit which forcibly indoctrinated me into their ranks were the ones who killed you and Otousan."

Closing his eyes and letting his head slightly droop down to face the ground, he let his gloved fingers guide him through the engravings of his surname on the family grave, feeling anger coursing through his veins. "Besides, I'm going to keep fighting 'till the likes of Larry Markson and Henry Garnum are wiped out from the face of the earth." He still vaguely remembered hearing an ARCAM report that Henry Garnum and Larry Markson were responsible for attempting to excavate the Fire Snake, a fiery beast similarly seen when the Fire Orb was used, except that the Fire Snake took the form of multiple flaming snakes that caved out of the earth from the grounds in various places around the planet. After the incident, Garnum had disappeared after failing to report at a meeting with ARCAM's board of directors.

Still closing his eyes, he took a deep breath and went to say his words to the air around the family grave, "I wonder though. I was wondering if either Okaasan or Otousan would be able to answer my..."

WHACK!

The boy felt someone hitting the rear of his head.

"What are you mumbling about back there, Yu?"

Looking behind, he noticed a woman with long black hair and was wearing a blouse and pants. She wore a black jacket and had brought along some items with her on a thermal bag, used to warm food up, on her left hand. On her right was a magazine rolled up to look like a stick.

"Dammit it, woman!" shouted Yu. "Can't you see I'm trying to get a decent conversation with Okaasan and Otousan here?"

Akiha smirked, "Really, Yu?" She tapped the rolled up magazine on her side. "Are you boring their afterlife with some of your Striker adventures in ARCAM?"

Yu stretched his arms and legs, being carefully with the latter so as not to hit the family grave with his stretching feet. "It's better than sleeping here, with something that's bound to happen to me." He then smirked back at Akiha, "Or in this case, waiting for you to get the food."

The woman rolled her eyes, "Whatever, Yu." Akiha sat down next to Yu and brought the contents out of the plastic bag. "I've got some food for us to eat."

"Sweet!" Yu whistled when Akiha had a box of pizza that she got from the nearest Domino's Pizza outlet. "You got pizza for us, eh? I'm starving here."

Yu felt Akiha layed her glaring eyes at him, "Be lucky I got that for the both of us."

"Yeah, sure mom." muttered Yu, who began to take a slice of pepperoni pizza. "By the way, when's Oyaji coming?"

Akiha knew he was talking about Takashi Ominae, Yu's foster father. "Don't know." The woman shrugged her shoulders and took out a bottle of Volvic water out from the compartment of the thermal bag. "He's speaking with Yamamoto right now, if I could remember right."

"What does the Old Man and Oyaji have to do anyway?" Yu said, addressing Yamamoto with the former.

"Probably another operation coming up next week." Akiha calmly opened the Volvic water bottle and sipped its contents out.

_"Figures!" _Yu huffed while engulfing the pepperoni pizza slice up. _"Wonder if Mark or the others will be herded back in HQ?"_

"Thinking about something?"

Yu was questioned by Akiha when she noticed his facial expression, which bothered her for a while.

"No." The Japanese Striker operative shook his head. "I'm fine, just tryin' to remember something."

"Hm." Akiha playfully grinned at him. "You, the great Yu Ominae trying to remember something?"

Yu then shook his hand and grinned at her. "Aw, come on!"

"Whatever." Akiha decided not to bother him any further and grab a slice of pepperoni pizza for herself. Yu reached into the pocket of his bomber jacket and took out his bandanna. He tied it around his head and secured it tightly by using an eight knot.

Taking his Coke can placed near the Domino's Pizza box, he raised it up to the Ominae family grave and saluted his parents, uttering an important phrase for his late mother.

"Happy mother's day, Okaasan."

He then happily emptied the rest of the can before joining his cousin in eating the rest of the food for the day.

Chapter 2 END

PS - Okay! Bet you folks have some interesting questions to ask me about this chapter, especially the appearances of Yu's relatives.

Let me explain it all...

After Yu's parents were massacred in Iran, he was taken in by relatives living in the US. Takashi raised Yu on his own like his own son, which is why Yu calls him Oyaji (Informal way of saying dad). Akiha, Yu's foster sister, raised him like a mother. But strange part here is that Yu addresses her as Akiha and not by mom or cousin Akiha since Yu was adopted, though they were part of the Ominae family.

COSMOS, in the world of Spriggan, is a child soldier special forces unit of the US Army before they were integrated into Trident Corporation. Makes you wonder that the staunch defender of human rights secretly breaks their own law in order to achieve domination in international politics by using this unit to accomplish their own means.

A little FYI, Botchi means cemetery in Japanese.

Like I said, let me know if you want to see scans of Takashi and Akiha (This is for those who don't have easy access to the Asian or European versions of Spriggan).

Almost forgot. To those who are waiting for rx79guntank to update, I've been in touch with him recently and he told me that he's taking a side job, which is why he may take a little while. I help him do the works for the story since I'm currently the most familiar Spriggan manga reader. As for Yu's mentioning of Mark, he's a Spriggan/Center agent OC that I made up. Read my other stories to know more of his origins.

If you have questions on the Spriggan manga canon, drop a note on the forum link in my profile and I'll answer them as best as I can.

(Sigh!) Wish that I could finish my Japanese so's I can do a translation of the 8 volumes (Bunko Version) soon.


	3. Overlapped Memories

Striker/Spriggan: Remember

By: Ominae

Rating: K

NOTE:

All characters of of Striker/Spriggan are under the copyright of Hiroshi Takashige and Ryoji Minagawa. All others belong to me and me only.

Summary:

A look at the lives of some of ARCAM's finest Striker operatives during Mother's Day when they remember the people they hold dear to them.

Chapter 3: Overlapped Memories

Balcony, Apartments, ARCAM Japan, Tokyo, Japan

A woman in her late teens was leaning on the balcony of an apartment building belonging to ARCAM's Japanese headquarters. Watching the nightlife go on in central Tokyo, she sighed while being protected from the cold by her long, black cloak-like jacket.

"How have I been here in this planet?" murmured the woman, adjusting the red beret that she had on her head. "Will I ever be like this again?"

She was, of course, referring to the lifespan that she had when Merlin granted her immortality during the Middle Ages in order to fight off the evils of people from getting their hands on ancient high-tech artifacts that they could use for their own good.

_"Fighting against those people sure took me like 21 centuries to do the job."_

Being an immortal had given her favor, such as living on for centuries in order to continue the fight against those who wanted to get their hands on extraterrestrial artifacts that could give them a position in the world. Throughout the years, she had fought the Crusaders in Jerusalem, Napoleon's army near the outskirts of Russia, soldiers of the United States' young army in various South American countries, Japanese rightists nearing the end of World War II and various Communist/anti-communist forces during the Cold War.

The woman gave a deep breath and shook herself in order to avoid getting potential chills from the cold wind. _"I didn't like covering myself up, but establishing the ARCAM Corporation was the least thing I can do."_

However, being immortal also had given her some disadvantages. For one thing, she didn't have time to give love or to be loved when she was tasked to fight off nations and corporations in the years after the Middle Ages.

The woman bit her lip, _"Steve loved me though, but I had to separate from him as he was in the way of my mission."_ She remembered before when she was formerly in love with a man named Steve Foster, who was now working with ARCAM as the captain of the S.S. Rosinante. Of course, Steve and Dr. Mayzel were only the few people in the ARCAM Corporation who knew of her secret.

She only remembered a person who made her feel like an ordinary person and not a being.

_"Mark was the only person who realized myself as a person, not as an immortal."_

The woman remembered a young teen, who was recruited by Chairman Rodriguez of ARCAM Philippines after leaving a paranormal organization called the Center as he was approached by the said chairman on whether he would want to be a member. He agreed to, under the condition that his brother, Micheal, would be recruited as well. With that said, Tea sensed the awakening psychic powers from within the twin brothers when they first met in Japan before Mark and Yu would undergo their first mission to secure Rie Yamabishi's safety from the CIA and the KGB. Micheal, though, had to go back to Manila in order to attend his studies as Mark was the only one free to help Yu.

"It's been a while since I've first met Mark." She fondly remembered how she trained the two to use their psychic powers to help ARCAM in performing their mission after she sensed potential psychic energy emitting from the twin brothers. After a few days of conducting psychic training, Mark and Michael had surpassed her in terms of power and skill.

"Sis!"

The woman looked behind, seeing a young boy dressed in an ARCAM Armored Muscle Suit and wearing a black Polo jacket. He had a dark baseball cap on.

"Mark?" The woman looked a bit surprised. "Didn't expect to see you here."

"Why would I?" The boy grinned. "Of course I sensed you moping around here, Tea."

Tea fixed her eyes on the teen very carefully. "Really? And what are you here for?" She noticed that he had his left hand behind him.

"Here." Mark handed her a red rose, slowly. "For you."

"You know I'm not your mother." smirked Tea, reading his mind with her psychic abilities.

"I know." The Filipino Striker scratched the back of his head. "It's just that you're like a mom to me and Michael when you trained us after we got recruited into the Strikers."

Tea sniffed the rose, bringing a rare smile to her. _"And after all the trouble Mark had to go through." _She motioned him to come near her. Once he did, she brought Mark to an embrace.

"Thank you." Tea whispered to his ears, making him blush. "You just made me feel young again."

"Er..." Mark stammered. "Mom told me that one has to be a gentleman before all females." He only murmured the last one to himself. _"With an exception to some."_

He didn't know that Tea was able to read her mentee's mind, hearing the last remark in his brain made her giggle. "Really?"

"Yea." He nodded in her chest, not wanting to look up. "I think I should be going now."

"No." The British Striker whispered back. "Let's stay like this for a while. I'm a bit lonely right now."

Mark decided to listen to Tea for now, "Fine, sis."

The two stayed still in their respective hugs, not moving for a few minutes.

"Okay." Tea patted Mark on the shoulder. "You can let go now."

_"Finally." _Forgetting that Tea could read his mind. "I'm kinda hungry right now and besides, most of the guys have eaten."

"Wanna eat?" asked Tea. "You'll have to treat me out, little brother." grinned the immortal.

"Of course, sis!" boasted Mark, pointing a proud thumb at himself. "Though we may have to go out as the others have went out."

"Fine." Before she went for the door that leads out of the guest room, Tea sneaked a kiss on Mark's forehead. Being rewarded by a blush from her _brother_, the two went out of the apartment room and went toward the floor's elevators, going out to enjoy the rest of the Tokyo nightlife.

Chapter 3 END

PS - Now to explain this part. Tea Flatte, for you Spriggan readers, is an immortal who was bestowed on her immortality by Merlin in order to combat those who want to take advantage of the OOP (Out-of-Place) artifacts that they could use against each other. One of her accomplishments was the creations of the ARCAM Corporation. She continues to work behind the scenes as Tea Flatte. Her actual name is Tea Flatte Arcam.


	4. Bounded Memories

Striker/Spriggan: Remember

By: Ominae

Rating: K

NOTE:

All characters of of Striker/Spriggan are under the copyright of Hiroshi Takashige and Ryoji Minagawa.

Summary:

A look at the lives of some of ARCAM's finest Striker operatives during Mother's Day when they remember the people they hold dear to them.

Chapter 4: Bounded Memories

Somewhere in the streets of Tokyo, Japan

A man in his late '20s was walking down the streets of Tokyo, all dressed in a black cheongsam suit, while looking at the people who were minding their business during a typical afternoon in the capital of Japan.

_"Nothing has changed since I left for Pakistan and the South Pole." _He remembered when he attacked Jean's werewolf form by critically injuring him with a qigong technique that crippled his nervous system, rendering him incapable of moving until 's faith healing has saved the French Striker's life, with the ability to now control his ability to turn into a werewolf even if he was exposed to his own blood.

"Hello, sir!" The man stopped at a local Chinese restaurant, seeing the ads placed outside that mentioned having discounts for the day.

The chef, who was a Chinese immigrant, greeted the man by bowing. "Hello, Oboro. What brings you here to my establishment?"

Oboro waved him off, "I've come for a bite to eat."

"Of course," The chef led Oboro to a seat. "Have a seat. I'll get you something to eat."

The Chinese-Japanese Striker nodded at him, "That would be good." While waiting, he looked around to see women and children inside. Just looking at them made him smile, remembering the days when he was young.

_"I didn't have the chance to know my original parents, but at least I had the chance to have one after I was adopted."_

Though orphaned at a young age, he grew up in Yokohama's Chinatown district and was taught in Mandarin and his native Japanese.

Oboro smiled when he took the teacup filled with Jasmine Tea to his mouth_. "And that's how it lead to my training in China." _After his schooling was done in Japan, he was recruited by ARCAM Japan as a Striker operative before heading off to China to be a practitioner in the Qigong martial arts. Though most of the students who trained with him mocked him for his Japanese heritage, Oboro excelled in his training and at no time, was the number one student at one of his master's training halls in the northern provinces of China, which he did not disclose at the insistence of his old master.

_"Heh!" _Oboro grinned when he remembered his last talk with his old master. _"Sensei sure was hesitant when he didn't want me to disclose the location of his training hall."_

Emptying the teacup before refilling it, he remembered his self-journey to Thailand to become a stronger person. He briefly met Dr. Ramdi, assisting the man in his work in conducting faith healing missions in several rural Thai villages before meeting up with a man named Chen Sunrie, who challenged him to a match before Oboro won by applying a crippling Qigong attack on the right side on his chest, paralyzing him temporarily. He later took revenge on Yu Ominae by training in the same Qigong martial art that Oboro went through before his mentee was able to beat him again.

Soon after his stint in Thailand, he went to South America for a journey of reflection until he stumbled on the bullet-riddled command post that Yu had made. Disabling him, he was able to get help from Yamamoto by removing the applied brainwashing that COSMOS researchers had placed on him since he began to have self-awareness. He then trained him to fight with martial arts before leaving on an undercover assignment.

"Hey, Oboro!"

"Hm?" Oboro had halted in the self-recollection of his history and saw the chef placing a bowl of Wonton noodles at his table.

"You seem to be at memory lane." The chef saw Oboro staring at his semi-empty teacup when he was working on his dish. "Is there anything you want to tell me?"

Remembering some of the children who were inside the restaurant, Oboro began to explain himself. "I was remembering some people in my life. I guess that's when I saw the kids inside the place with their moms, I guess."

"That's right." The chef took his seat in front of the Japanese Striker and poured himself some tea. "Today's Mother's Day. And I was able to send some money to my mother living in Xiamen as my gift to her." Oboro nodded at his actions, seemingly happy. "What about you? You greeted your mother?"

Oboro sighed, "Not yet. I haven't went to Yokohama."

"I see." The chef sipped his tea. "Are you planning to give her anything of some sort?"

Taking the chopstick placed on top of the steaming bowl, he took some noodle strands with his chopsticks before slurping them. "No idea."

The chef chuckled at his remarks, "Really, Oboro. You should see her. It's the time of year."

"Maybe I should." grinned Oboro. "But I have to pay respects to someone first."

"Oh..." The chef was at a loss of words. "I see." What he didn't know that Oboro was talking about his real mother, who died during his childhood.

"Don't worry." Oboro kept eating his noodles before explaining himself. "I'll go see her."

"Yeah." laughed the chef. "Give her my regards. I haven't seen her for a long time."

Nodding at the chef, Oboro slurped the rest of the soup before wiping his mouth off. "I will. And thanks for the food." He was about to bring out his wallet to pay him when the chef waved a hand at him.

"No need, Oboro." insisted the man. "It's on the house. It's at least for what you did the previous night when those bousouzokus tried to trash my place."

"All right." Oboro slightly bowed to the chef. "And thanks for the food, again."

"Of course." The chef bowed in return, watching Oboro leave the restaurant on his way out back into the streets of Tokyo once again.

THE END

PS - Oboro didn't have much of a past to tell, so I thought I'd give a reasonable one aside from the ones established by the manga canon.


End file.
